In the end, Perfikot decided to attend the hearing convened by the Noble Council under the persuasion of Duke Gloucester.

After all, Duke Gloucester had been accompanying her with apologies, which made Perfikot feel somewhat indebted.

However, this did not mean that Perfikot would show a friendly face to the Noble Council, or that her attending the hearing meant she would accept the questioning of those incompetent gluttons.

But Duke Gloucester was unaware of this. After Perfikot agreed to attend the hearing, he sighed in relief and left her residence.

Duke Gloucester was certainly not foolish; he saw that Perfikot had no intention of participating in the hearing properly or accepting questioning, but he had done all he could up to this point. If those noble delegates were bent on courting death, he couldn't stop them.

Or rather, Duke Gloucester, having been made the scapegoat both inside and outside of this matter, didn't plan to intervene.

The court meeting of the Imperial Center had already made the decision to announce the coming of the winter apocalypse. At such a moment, those nobles still seeking trouble with Perfikot were either blind or opposing the future of the Empire.

Although among these people, there were indeed some who, out of pure loyalty to the country, wished to question Perfikot to prevent her from becoming a power-mad minister, such individuals were in the minority.

The majority of the delegates involved in this matter were either unable to see the situation clearly or were blinded by their petty interests.

Those who truly understood the situation wouldn't get involved, and those truly loyal to the country wouldn't stubbornly stick to a single path after Duke Gloucester personally consulted them.

So unbeknownst to those involved noble delegates, the nature of this hearing had already changed.

At this point, with Perfikot agreeing to attend the hearing, the outcome was already quite clear.

The only thing Duke Gloucester needed to worry about was whether Perfikot would dismantle the Noble Council's venue or cause such chaos that the venue couldn't be used again in the short term.

However, considering the Empire's mainland would be abandoned in a year, these weren't major issues.

Perfikot actually understood Duke Gloucester's little schemes quite well. While she couldn't say she was delighted by it, she at least went along with it.

Though not a bloodthirsty person, if someone delivered a bunch of fools to her for venting, she wouldn't feel the need to restrain her temper.

Moreover, this was also cleaning out useless bugs for the Empire, removing future unstable elements in advance.

She knew these nobles too well; if they went to the Northern Territory after the winter apocalypse, they would only be a source of trouble without contributing anything.

Though their existence wasn't exactly a crime, their significance to the Empire was merely wasting food and preserving some old noble lineages.

If it were a time of peace, their existence would have been tolerable.

The Empire wouldn't deliberately deal with them, nor provide any additional privileges. Their noble status and everything they enjoyed were simply remnants of their ancestors' shadows, and once those were exhausted, they'd be worthless.

In Langton, the Empire's capital, it wasn't uncommon to see impoverished nobles who had lost their titles or estates.

Thus, for the Empire, getting rid of a batch of incompetent nobles wasn't a significant problem.

It was just that during peacetime, such actions required consideration of their impact and whether they were worthwhile.

Now, with the threat of the winter apocalypse in front and potential internal strife from abandoning the mainland at the back, the fewer unstable factors, the better.

Moreover, consuming these noble delegates could also earn Perfikot, a key figure, her good mood, making this a deal that achieved multiple goals.

The only ones likely displeased were the noble delegates themselves.

But who would blame them for having no foresight and being blind to the current situation? They could only be somewhat wronged.

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On the day of the hearing, Perfikot didn't create a particularly extravagant scene, merely arriving in Langton aboard her Flying Airship, then disembarking her steam carriage along with two Steam Knight battalions she brought with her.

One of them was the White Bear Knight Order's Dragon Slayer Squad, which had become the emblem of the White Bear Knight Order after participating in a dragon-slaying feat. Perfikot personally upgraded the squad's equipment due to their merits.

Although she didn't personally create their Steam Armor, she was involved in the design and improvements, leaving the final manufacturing to other alchemists and craftsmen.

Even so, the squad's weaponry and equipment were the most advanced in the White Bear Knight Order, second only to the Flying Knights.

Perfikot didn't bring the Flying Knights, partly due to the lack of Flying Armor and partly because there was no need for such flamboyance.

Though Perfikot had already introduced Imaginary Alchemy, allowing alchemists to bypass the Philosopher's Stone's limitations to create non-existent imaginary elements,

producing Flying Stones remained too complex and difficult for ordinary alchemists.

To date, the Flying Armors for nine Flying Knights were still incomplete, with only four finished. Perfikot saw no need to bring them now.

Especially when she also needed to bring another battalion.

This battalion was from the old prince's Knight Order, named Ironfire, forged by steel and flame to defend the Empire's foundation.

The old prince's ambitions and objectives had been evident for a long time, with the knight order's name being the most direct proof.

After coming under Perfikot's command, they too required some actions and accomplishments to prove themselves.

Correspondingly, Perfikot also needed to offer them some reassurance, ensuring the old prince's Knight Order remained loyal and performed under her command.

Bringing them to attend the hearing and subsequently entrusting them with handling the noble delegates was a display of trust, greatly enhancing the knights' loyalty and aiding Perfikot in employing them.

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